October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbunder, Gujarat. He studied law in the U.K. and in April 1893, he set sail to South Africa on the behest of a client. His years in South Africa were formative as he realised the treatment meted out to Indians was unjust. So, he stayed on and fought for the rights. This is where he first employed his non-violent civil disobedience principle.
He returned to India in 1915, by which time he was already known as a nationalist, theorist and community organiser. He joined the Indian National Congress (INC) and in 1920 took leadership.
A preacher of truth and ahimsa (non-violence), he started the s atyagraha movement for the Indian freedom struggle. He believed in living a simple life and proved to the world that freedom can be achieved by means of non-violence.
Five months after the independence of India, at the age of 78, he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse while on his way to his daily prayer meeting.
Points to ponder
Gandhiji was called Bapu as a term of endearment. It means “father”.
The title of Mahatma, or “Great Soul” was given to him in 1914 by Rabindranath Tagore.
The teachers at his London law school complained incessantly about his bad handwriting.
He fought for more than just independence. His advocated civil rights for women, the abolition of the caste system, and the fair treatment of all people regardless of religion.
His image has appeared on all denominations of Indian currency printed since 1996.
He denounced Gandhism and did not want to create a cult-like following. He also said he had “...nothing new to teach the world. Truth and non-violence are as old as the hills.”
What you can do on this day
It was Gandhiji’s belief that cleanliness was next to godliness. So, you could gather together a group of like minded people and clean your neighbourhood.
He spoke of the need to exercise restraint with respect to the use of natural resources. Get together with your friends or neighbours and plant saplings.
Gandhiji led the life he preached. Begin today to live by his tenets of truth, non-violence and honesty.
Get to know him better by reading his autobiography My Story of My Experiments With Truth.
